Mechanical ball game



M114, 1929. l 1, YOUNG 1;,713347 MECHANICAL BALL GAME Filed May-22, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l May 14, 1929. YOUNG MECHANICAL-BALL GAME Filed Max:122, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 MECHANICAL BALL GAME Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED" STATES- PATENT OFF] CE,

(JACOB YOUNG, or: HENNESSEY, OKLAHOMA, 'nss'reivoaynr DIRECT imp v'rnsivn AS- SIGNMENTS, T GENERAL MANUFACTURING fconronarron or"oKLAHoMA CITY,

OKLAHOMA.

MECHANICAL BALL GAME.

' Application filed May 2-2,;1928; Serial No; 279,697.

This invention relates to mechanical ball games, and particularly to a mechanical basketball game. v V

The general object of the invention is to provide a lminiatur'e basketball court en-' closed in glass and having the similitudes of baskets at the opposite ends of the glass case, and provide ,manually controllable.

means whereby the ball maybe shifted from one end of the courttoward the other by one player or in a reverse direction by the-other player and whereby the ballunay be dis charged upward, if possible, to make a goalfrom the field.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having the floor of the case formed to provide a plurality oi depressed portions, each depressed portion having a.

cup-shaped center in which the ball will lodge, each cup-shaped depression having a kicker orfinger disposed therein,'half of;

the cups having their kickers connected to one operatingmeans for one player and the other half of the cups having their kickers operatively engaged with another operating means operated by the'other player, the kickers or'fingers being so disposed "that when it is operated it will tend to throw'the' ball from one 'cup to anothercu p' of the same players andso on until the ball is in position for a try for goal.

A stillfurther object is to provide a construction of-a relatively simple character for this purpose wherein one single 'handle Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mechanical ball game constructed in accordance with u my invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the board;

Figure 3 is an under side plan view of the board; I

Figure 4.- 1s a fragmentary elevationshowing the devices for actuating the, ball kick ers;

.Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5.-5 of F gure'Q; Figure 6 is a sectional View on thelline 6 6. of Figure 2.

, Referring tothese drawings, and particu' larly to Figure, 2, it will be-se en fthat tho field or court upon whichthe game is playedis disposed within a glass case, designated" 10, thisbeing mounted upon abase 1 1, which base supportsthe game board or court12.

The base in turnis preferablysupported by feet 13.

Extending upward from the corners of the base are the corner irons orposts 14:, the opposite, posts 1 being connected by transverse members 15 and longitudinal members 16,- and panes of glass 17 are disposed-toextend across the ends, thesi'des and thetop of the case so that the board may bereadil seen.

The board or floor 12 is divided .by division ridges 18 into a plurality of squares, shown as eight in number. Thepdivision ridges run transversely and one division ridge 18 runs longitudinally, intersecting the transverse ridges. Atfthe intersections of the longi tudinal. and transverse-ridges there are formed "conical-shaped depressions :19 in which the'ball may come to rest; Thesquare spacesdefined by the intersecting ridgesl8 are downwardly mclined or rounded toward the centerrofthe space, as at 20, sothata ball landing in one of these spaceswill inevitably roll to the center thereof andcoine torest over a central ope'ningQl. llhe conical seats 19' heretofore described also extend entirely through the board12 and are concentric tothe central opening -21.

Mounted upon. one of the vvertical sup porting members 14 at each end of the caseis an'arm 22 supporting a ring 23 which constitutes the basket or goal, it being'the purpose of the game to toss a small; ball from anyone of the 'pockets1or'seats19 or 21 upwardso. that it may pass downward through one or the other otthe rings 23 or 23*; a c

Disposed beneath theboard orfloor 12 and associated with each of the openings 21; is a kicker. These kickers, as shown in Figure 2, are extended in differentdirections, as

will herea fter-more fully-V appear, and onehalfthe-kicker-s are operated by onejactu-' ating means, while the other half are actuated by the other actuating means;

" llieferrin-gnow .tol igure B it will be seen that the actuating means for one set of kickers'comprises an arm 24 mounted upon a shaft 25 supported in suitable bearings 26 beneath the floor. This shaft extends at right angles to the length of the board and is disposed adjacent one end and slightly to one side of the corresponding ball seat 19.

This shaft is provided with an angularly sion 19 and this arm 27,

extending arm constituting a kicker 27 V which extends diametrically across the corresponding opening 21 of the cup or depreswhen it is lifted,

a will swing upward and toward the adjacent ring 23. In order to prevent confusion, all those cups or ball seats 19 belonging to one player are differentiated by the exponent A, while all those ball seats 19 and 20 which belong to the other platyer are differentiated trac'tile spring 29 is connected so as to urge V the shaft in positlon to draw the arm 24 in a,

he shaft 25 just deby the exponent B.

are intended to be scribed and the kicker 27 operated by the player A.

The shaft 25-is provided with anup-' wardly projecting arm 28, to which a conhorizontal position'and the arm 28 in a vertical position. Pivotally connected to the arm 28 is a link 80. This link is connected to one arm 31 0f a bell crank lever 32 mounted upon a supporting post--33. The other arm 34 of this bell crank lever is pivotally connected to a link 35, which in turn is pivotally connected to an arm 36 which is mounted upon a shaft 37, this shaft being supported in suitable bearings. The arm 36 is connected by a connecting rod 38 which extends diagonally across the board to an arm 39 mounted upon a shaft 40, this shaft" 40 extending at right angles to the link or connecting rod 38 and on an angle of to the shaft 25. l

The shaft 40 is mounted in bearings 41 of 7 any suitable character and carries at its ends th kicker 42- which extends across the opening 21 of a seat 20. This finger or kicker 42 is radially disposed with relation to the corresponding ring 23 so'that a ball struck by either of the kickers 27 or 42 will be projected upward and toward the basket or ring 23 at that end, Disposed parallel to the connecting rod 38 is a shaft 43 having at one end the kicker 44 which extends across one of the seats 20 and specifically across seat 3*. The other end ofthis shaft carries an upwardly projecting arm 45. This arm is ing the kicker 51 which extends across the pocket, depression or cup 1. Also mounted upon the shaft 37v is a kicker 52 extending across the opening of the seat or depression It will be seen that I have referred to five cups, depressions or pockets 1, 2 3 4 and 5 and that the connections which I have described are such that when the handle 24 is drawn upward all of the kickers belonging to these various cups willbe lowcred and that when the handle is released the spring 29 will cause all of the kickers to be operated so that a ball resting in one of these cups or depressions or seats will be struck by the corresponding kicker and thrown in the general direction in which the kicker is disposed. V V

The kicker 51 for the seat 1 or pocket is disposed so as to throw a ball diagonally over and toward the pocket 2*. The kicker 52 in the pocket 2 is so disposed as to throw the ball in a right angle to its previous direction and toward the pocket 8 The kicker in this pocket is disposed to again throw the ball at right angles and toward the pockets 4 or 5 and these kickers are so disposed as to throw the ball toward or into the corresponding or adjacent ring 28. A

like arrangement is provided for the pockets or cups 1 2 3 4 and 5 and inasmuch as the mechanism is duplicated for the B pockets it is not believed it is necessary to describe this mechanism.

The kickers for the B pockets are opcr-' ated all by the handle 24", while the handle 24 operates the kickers for the A pockets. As will be seen from Figure 5,, the pockets 19, that is, the pockets located at the intersection of the longitudinal ridges 18 with the transverse ridges,'has a relatively longer kicker than the pockets 20 and the side wall of the pocket is cutaway, at 53, to permit this finger to have a slightly greater travel than the fingers 42, 44, 51' and 52. The fingers for the pockets 1*, 2 3 and 5 are relatively short and slightly curved, as shown in Figure 6.

The ball 54 is, of course, always disposed in som one of the pockets when the game is to be started. and is played from this pocket. The object of the player A is to cause the ball to move away from his side of the field or board and to pass through the goal or basket of the other player, and the object of the other player is exactly reverse to that of the first player. The kickers are so arranged that by careful manipulalion'a ball which is at one end of the field may be caused to travel from pocket to pocket toward the other end of the field diagonally across the board until eventually the ball will lodge, for instance, in the pocket 5 or 4 the finger or kicker for the hole 5 and for the hole 4 being arranged to propel the Ill) ball toward thescoring basket,and a skillful operatorcan readily score by kicking the ball into or through the basket from thesev points.

In playing the game, Obviously as long as the ball falls int-o'cups or pockets whose kickers are operated from the handle 2t for instance, the player who is operating the handle 24 continues to play, but if the ball 'should fall into one of the B pockets or cups then the player who is operating the handle 24* will gain control of the ball and will try, by proper manipulation of the handle, to drive the ball down the-field and eventually kick a' goal.- Obviously, the

game may be played either by trying to send the ball into the enemys basket or trying to Y get the ball through the players own basket.

t will be seen that with this "mechanism, a skillful player, by proper manipulation of the corresponding lever 24 or 24", can so operate the kickers as to control the movement of the ball to a considerable degree and send it down the field in the direction and to the position he desires, thus making the ne of skill rather than of pure game 0 chance. a I

Preferably the cups'or depressions will be'ditierentiated-by different colors so that each player can'distinguish his own holes from those controlled by the lever of opposing player. In the actual playing of the game a scole is made by the throwing of the ball into the basket, this is, through one or the other of the rings. Field goal counts two points and free goal one point.- If a ball is thrown from a;#1 hole through the ring or basket it counts one point, and if a 1 ball is thrown from hole #2 it counts two points. I a a v v \Vhile I have illustrated certain details of construction and arrangement of parts, I

do not wish to be limited thereto as these may be changed withoutdeparting from-the J spirit of the invention as defined the appended claims- Neither do I wish to be limitedto the use of this device as a means for playing aimechanicalbasketball game as this mechanism might be used forv other games and other goals might be used in place of the rings or'baskets 23.,

I claim 'L'A mechanical ball game of the character described comprising'a'board constituting a field and an enclosing casing, the

board being formed to providea plurality of series of spaces, one series for each player,

each of said spaces inclining. downward toward its center. .to provide a cup withln which a ball may rest, the cup opening through the bottom of. the board, a ball within thecasing adapted to come to rest within any one of said cups, the cups of one series being arranged in staggered relation to each other and alternating with the cups of the other series, controlling handle for each player, and kickers disposed beneath the openings in each set of spaces and operatively connected to the corresponding handle and operated thereby, said kickers being so arranged as to project the-ball in the general direction of the next succeedingcnp of a-series. a a

2. A; mechanical ball 'ame comprising a board and an enclosing transparent casing, goals disposed at opposite ends of the easing above the board, thc'board being divided by transverse and longitudinally extending rldges into a plurality of spaces, each of said J spaces being downwardly inclined toward its center to form a cup withinwhich v a ball may rest, "the cup opening through the. bottom of the board,-certa1n of the 1ntersectln'g longitudinal and transverse ridges being formedatgtheir intersections topro vide a cup or depression, the several cups or depressions being arranged in two series,

the cups or depressions ofone series being in staggered relation to the cups or depressions of the other series kickers dis posed beneath the several cups, the kickers of one seriesnbeing operativelyconnected to arranged to discharge the ball from'a cup of one SQIIGStO'flIl ad acent cup vof the same .seriesand into the COITGSPOHClHIg goal.

3. A mechanicalball game comprising a boardand an enclosing transparent casing, goals disposed at opp'oslte ends of the casing above the board, the board being divided by transverse and longitudinally extending' ridges intoa-plurality of spaces, eachof said spaces being downwardly inclined toward itscenter to form a cup within which a ball mayirest, the cup opening through the bottom of the board, certain of, the inte'rsecting longitudinal and transverse ridges being formed at their intersections to provide a cup orcdepressiomthe several cups or depressions beingarranged in two series, the cups ordepressions of one series being in staggered. relation to the cups or depressions of the other series, kickers disposed beneath the several cups, the kickers of one series {being operatively connected to each other for vsimultaneous operation and the kickers of theother series being operatively connected to each other for simultaneous operation, handles exterior to the casing and connected each to one series of kickers, and

a spring urgingall of the kickers of a series to a projected position, the handle acting to depress the kickers of that series, the

kickers of one series being arranged to discharge the ball from a cup of one se *ies to an adjacent cup of the same series and into the corresponding goal, each kicker comprisinga finger disposed below the hole of a cup and mounted upon a shaft.

4., In a mechanical ball game of the character described, a board having a cup formed in its face, the cup opening through the bottom of the board, a shaft disposed below the bottom of the board and having a de-,

having a handle, a spring urging the shaftin a direction to raise the finger, and operative connections from the last named shaft to the first named shafts to cause the simultaneous depression of all of said fingers upon a movement of the handle in one d1- rection and a simultaneous projection upon a release of the handle.

6. A mechanical ball game of the character described including a board and a transparent casing extending over the board, the board being divided by ridges into an even number of spaces, of cup-shaped depressions opening tl'irough the bottom of the board and each of said spaces being downwardly and centrally inclined to form a cupshaped depression opening through the bottom of the board, a ball within the casing,

goal rings disposed at opposite ends of the casing, the spaces being divided into two series, pivotally mounted kickers disposed beneath one series of spaces and operatively connected to each other, an operating handle connected to the kickers of one series, a spring operatively connected to the kickers of one series of spaces whereby the kickers of one series of spaces may be simultaneous ly operated upon an operation of the handle or a release thereof, a second operating handle to which the kickers of the other spaces are all operatively connected, a spring operatively engaging the kickers of thelast named spaces and urging them to a. normal position, the kickers of one space and the cup at the intersection of the ridges adjacent one end of the casing operating in a plane radial to the adjacent goal ring and the kickers" of one spaceat the opposite end of the casing and of the cup at the intersection of the ridges adjacent this end operating in a plane radial to theringat this end, the kickers of one series of cups being arranged -to direct the ball from'one cup of a series to the next adjacent cup of theseries in a direction toward one end of the casing while the'kickers of the other series are reversely arranged to direct the ball in a reverse direction and successively from one cup to the otherof the series. 7

7. A mechanical ball game including a board constituting a field and having thereon two sets of upwardly flaring cups, goals disposed at opposite ends of the field, the

cups of one series being arranged in staggered relation to eachother and alternating with the cups of the other series, a ball adapted to be played upon the field and to come to rest in any one of said cups, and two series of kickers disposedbeneath the two. series of cups, the kickers of each series being simultaneously manually operable but independently of the kickers of the other series, a kicker of either series being arranged to project the ball from its cup in the general direction of a goal and in a diagonal direction toward the next successive cup of the same series.

8. A mechanical ball game including a board constituting a field and having therein two sets of upwardly flaring cups and goals at opposite ends of the field, the two series of cups'disposed one series adjacent each side of the board, the cups of one series being arranged in staggered relationto each other and alternating with the cups of the other series andincludingcups disposed on a median line adjacent a goal, a balladapted to be played upon the field and to come to rest in any one of said cups, two series of kickersdisposed beneath the two series of cups, the kickers of each series being operatively connected to each other for simultaneousmovement, a kicker of either series being arranged to'project the ball from the corresponding cup in the general direction of the goal and inthe direction of the next adjacent cup oft-he same series, the kicker of each medial cup being disposed to project towards the adjacent goal and two handles each operatlvely connected to oneseries of kickers whereby thetwo series of kickers may be operated by opposed players.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature. a

' JACOB YOUNG. 

